The Educational Training Fund (ETF) is a demand-driven capacity building approach used by FHI 360 on its UGM Project in South Africa. Through the ETF, partners could access over 136 different learning opportunities like courses, conferences, and professional memberships. This allowed staff at various levels to strengthen their skills in areas like financial management, M&E, and governance. Evaluations found the ETF improved service delivery and organizational effectiveness. Lessons learned included the benefits of investing in frontline health workers and the importance of organizational ownership over capacity strengthening.

1. Educational Training Fund: A Demand-Driven
Capacity Strengthening Approach
Christine Mbabazi, Capacity Building Advisor
FHI 360 South Africa Umbrella Grants Management Program
March 21, 2013

2. Presentation Overview
• FHI 360 Overview
• FHI 360-UGM Project
• Educational Training Fund (ETF) Definition & Purpose
• Methodology
• Successes & Achievements
• Lessons Learned

3. FHI 360 Overview
• FHI 360 works across a broad set of disciplines to
deliver thoughtful, evidence-based responses to
complex, human development needs
• Operates from 60 offices worldwide
• Has implemented over 75 programs that use capacity
building as an approach globally.
• To date, provided TA to over 9000 NGOs, CSOs, FBOs
and networks in 41 countries.

4. FHI 360-UGM Project
• Project dates: October 2007 – November 2013
• Award ceiling: USD $91 million
• 14 partners over life of project (11 S.African, 3 Int’)
• Core technical areas include grants and financial
management, organizational capacity building, and
monitoring, evaluation and reporting (MER)
• Implementation Strategies;
• Core, Cohort & Customised Training
• Educational training Fund
• Technical Assistance (onsite support)
• Mentoring & Twinning

5. FHI 360-UGM Project
Goal: Objectives:
Support the provision of  Provide grants to USAID/PEPFAR
sustainable, high-quality partners that ensure adequate
HIV/AIDS services in South resource flow to foster scale-up of
activities.
Africa through strategic
grants management and  Provide ongoing capacity building
to support and enhance scale-up of
capacity building support
activities and sustainability of
to partners.
activities and partners.
 Implement effective monitoring,
evaluation and reporting systems
to assess and document activities

6. Educational Training Fund
What is it?
• A demand-driven resource
Courses
Courses
that provides UGM partners
with additional support to
address their unique Memberships
Memberships Conferences
Conferences
capacity strengthening
needs ETF
What is it for?
• Allows partners to tap into
Materials
Materials
external learning Books
Books
Development
Development
opportunities to improve
their knowledge, skills and
capacity

7. FHI 360-UGM Trainings & Forums
• To date, UGM held 41 trainings
and forums across eight domains
• Approximately three to four
people per partner attended each
training

8. Educational Training Learning Opportunities
ETF Learning Opportunities (n = 136)
• Approach: Demand-driven Financial Planning Monitoring,
Grants Management
capacity building Governance &
and Management
11%
3%
Evaluation &
Reporting
Strategic Planning
• Funding: R 105,000 per 6% 15%
annum for each partner
• Specialized needs: Short
courses, workshops,
conferences, professional Human Resources
23% Technical Capacity
memberships, handbooks or 31%
promotional materials
• Eligibility: staff, child care
workers/volunteers, board
members
• Learning opportunities
funded: 136 Project Planning &
Organizational
Networking &
Design
6% Sustainability
Advocacy
4% 1%

9. ETF Methodology: Application, Evaluation and Approval Process
• Partner completes application form and submits with
relevant supporting documents (30 days)
• Application is reviewed by the UGM’s ETF Committee
against the established criteria
• If OK, application is submitted to senior management for
approval
• Application outcome is communicated to the partner
• Payment is then made to the service provider
• After completion of the learning opportunity, staff
completes a feedback questionnaire and submits
certificates

10. Successes and Achievements
• Organizations utilized ETF to support a range of staff
(Volunteers-Board members)
• Improved quality of service delivery through training of
volunteers on comprehensive care for beneficiaries
• Improved staff skills in financial management & MER
• Improved organizational governance and strategic
planning
• ETF assisted partners to get their training programs
accredited
• Staff were able to access accredited training programs

11. Success & Achievements (Partner Feedback)
• “I became a much more
“Through use of ETF, the
informed monitoring and
new board members
evaluation officer because of all
were also groomed into
the courses I attended with ETF.
their roles and
At Woz’obona I was able to
responsibilities as office
function efficiently and
bearers. It is also evident
effectively; everything that I
that after the capacity
learned I was able to apply it to
building, that there was
my work. I had a great
notably more
understanding of all the
involvement by them”
indicators I was working with
(AAHT Management) Overall it has been very
beneficial. (M&E Officer - Wozo)

12. Lessons Learned
• Investments in field workers • Reinforced independent learner-
(volunteers) are more sustainable driven education. Staff now use
and more beneficial to the own funds to sign up for other
organization. Senior staff turnover is courses
high as skills are more marketable
• Access to accredited courses has
empowered learners; completing
• More efficient and sustainable if such competitive graded courses
organizations have staff gives staff a greater sense of an
accomplishment in their career
development policies that bind those
path
who access ETF
• Organizational ownership is vital.
The UGM should focus on technical
support (guidelines and compliance)